Chamari Athapaththu called it right at the toss, at last. She promptly sent India into bat in the fourth T20I in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma might as well have said ‘Thank you’ as they strode to the middle. What followed was a superlative exhibition of batting by the opening pair.
Read More | India vs Sri Lanka 4th T20I HIGHLIGHTS
Smriti (80, 48b, 11×4, 3×6) and Shafali (79, 46b, 12×4, 1×6) showed yet again why they are among the most feared batting duos in women’s cricket. They put on the highest partnership – 162 – for any wicket for India in the format, and Richa Ghosh finished it off for India with a blistering cameo.
The Women in Blue, who were batting first for the first time this series, made a record-breaking 221 for two in the fourth T20I, their best-ever score.
It was always going to be an uphill task for the Lankans, but they did try to make a match of it. Hasini Perera (33, 20b) and Chamari (52, 37b) put on 59 for the opening wicket inside the PowerPlay. However, nobody else could carry on that momentum, and the host won by 30 runs to take a 4-0 lead in the series.
Hasini Perera and Chamari Athapaththu gave a fiery start but Sri Lanka could not sustain it.
| Photo Credit:
Nirmal Harindran
Hasini Perera and Chamari Athapaththu gave a fiery start but Sri Lanka could not sustain it.
| Photo Credit:
Nirmal Harindran
The writing was on the wall for the Lankans right at the start. Smriti tucked the first ball of the innings, bowled by Malsha Shehani, square of the wicket on the leg-side for a boundary.
Her well-documented mastery on the off would follow, but only a little later on in the evening; before that she would get to watch, from the non-striker’s end, as Shafali put on a masterclass of controlled aggression.
The 21-year-old had come into this match after scoring 69 not out and 79 not out in the last two matches. A four through the extra covers off Kawya Kavindi after stepping down the track indicated the innings was just a continuation from Friday night.
Shafali didn’t hit a six until she made her third successive fifty of the series, though. She danced down the track to send Nimasha Meepage over long-off.
After Shafali was caught and bowled by Nimasha, Richa (40 n.o., 16b, 4×4, 3×6) was promoted up the order. In the penultimate over, the wicketkeeper went after Kavisha Dilhari to pocket 20 runs (6, 6, 4, 6).
Smriti had already been back in the dressing room, edging her sweep off Malsha to square-leg but only after completing 10,000 international runs – only the fourth woman to do it.
Published on Dec 28, 2025
Comments are closed.